Loading station and platform



May 17, 1932. F, E. MCCAIN 1,858,407 LOADING STATION AND PLATFORM I I Filed-April'18, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet l iNVENTOR L lll III I l TTORNEYS May 17, 1932. F. E. MCCAIN LOADING STATION AND PLATFORM 4' Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 18, 1950 MRRHF ATTO RN EYS May 17, 1932.

F E. M CAIN LOADING STATION AND PLATFORM Filed April 18, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Fredefjak EMaEain ATTORNEYS CCCCCCCCCECC CCCCCCGGC GECCGCCC F. E. MICCAIN May 17, 1932.

LOADING STATION AND PLATFORM Filed April 18, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR Frederrnkf McCain WWW M ccc:cccccccccccccc cccccacPm;

ATTORNEYS Patented May 17, 1932 FREDERICK E. coAIiv, or narnorr, MICHIGAN LOADING STATION AND PLATFORM Application filed April 18, 1930. Serial No. 445,279.

The present invention pertains to a novel loading station or platform and the primary object of the same is to devise adequate means for segregating the automobile trafiic from the street railway traflic in the congested districts of a city and permit practically uninterrupted flow of automobile traflicv by avoiding thenecessity of the street railway passengers crossing the motor vehicle lanes.

Another object of the present invention is to devise a loading station Which provides an enclosed platform to accommodate passengers boarding or leaving .the street railway cars, said station being capable of being ad-. justed or adapted to fit the limitations existing relative to the width of the street or highway, the distance to be served, and permit the use of the standard railway equipment now in use. The present deviceis further capable of being adaptedtolsuit limitations existing relative to intersecting streets having two or more street railway lines crossing each other and in so doing positively eliminates any necessity of a conventional tube or underground system of rapid transit.

Another object of the present invention is to devise a loading station adapted to utilize space provided by excavating beneath the lanes provided for automobile traffic which are elevated slightly to avoid the necessity of too much excavating and in this manner there is provided a covered and enclosed loading platform which may be adequately lighted, heated and ventilated to insure comfort and safety for passengers boarding or leaving street railway cars and permitting them to reach the sidewalk without the necessity of crossing the traffic lanes provided to accommodate automobile traffic.

With the above and other ends in view the invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the present loading station;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross sectional view illustrating a street railway car opposite the loading platform;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional plan view illuse. trating a fragment of the present construction and showing the loading tail;

taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; s

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side elevation which isfpartly in cross section and illustrates the manner in which the present invention is adapted to suit intersecting streets having intersecting railway lines;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view corresponding to the form illustrated in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation which is partly in cross section to illustrate the manner in which the present invention is adapted to accommodate a street having astreet railway line Y which is intersected by another street without a railway line, and a f, y Fig. 9 is a top plan view corresponding to Fig. 8. I

,Like characters of reference are employed throughout to designate thecorresponding parts.

The numeral 1 indicates a highway having the rails 2 to accommodate street railway cars 3 and it will be assumed that the present device is located in a district having relatively heavy automobile tra-flic. To segregate the automobile trafiic from the street car traffic the present invention provides the upwardly inclined ramps 4 which are joined by the elevated level portion 5and over which the automobiles may conveniently pass? To accommodate the street car traihc'the present invention provides the downwardly inclined ramps 6 which permit the street cars to pass under the level portion 5 and it is 'the'object of the present invention to provide means for accommodating the loading and unloading of thestreet cars while theyare located underneath thelevel portion 5 so that the automobile traffic may continue its movement without endangering the street car passengers. a

The ramps 4 and the level portion 5 are supported by walls 7 and 8 and in the walls 7 Fig. 5.is a transverse cross sectional view platform in de-.

which are the outside walls adjacent the side walk 9 of the street there are provided doors 10 through which street car passengers may for permitting enter to descend the stairs 11 to gain access to the loading platform 12. The loading platform 12 is covered by the level portion 5 and is therefore completely enclosed, doors 13 being provided in the wall 8 to permit pasthe passengers may pass from the sidewalk 9.

to board the street car or vice versa without danger of being struck by passing automo+ 'biles and to accommodate intersecting streets having intersecting streetcar lines'the level portion 5 is elongated on one side of the intersected street so that the loading platform 12 may be located on one side of the inter sected street as clearly'illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings.

In Figs. 8 and 9 there is illustrated a street having a street car. line which is intersected by another street not having a-stre-et car line and in this form the construction is practically identical with the above described, the level portion 5, being connected by upwardly inclined ramps 15 to the intersecting street.

The loading platform in this form is located directly underneath the intersection and to accommodate pedestrians passing along the sidewalk 9 there is provided a passage 16 whichpermits them to cross under the street without coming in contact with the automobile trafiic.

From the above descriptionit becomes apparent that the present invention is adapt able to streets having intersections or without in a manner avoiding too great a height for the automobiles to climb over and too great adepression for the street cars to pass through. 'In other words the automobiles and street cars both have equal grades to surmount and by evenly distributing th Same a greater efficiency and more rapid transitcan be obtained.

Althoughspecific embodiments of the pres nt in ention have een illustrated and de scribed it is to be understood that various hanges may e made W th n t e scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention and such changes are contemplated.

What I claim is 1. A structure of the character described comprisingcfloor levels located beneath the normal highway level, sidewalls projecting upwardly from said floor levels to a point above the normal highway level, upwardly inclined ramps supported by said side walls assage of automobiles over and'above said oor levels, downwardly in clined ramps between said fioor levelsand having tracks accommodating the passage of streetcars, and doors and stairs for permitto eachother to permit passage of automo- -;biles over said platform, and downwardly inclined ramps formed in the center of said upwardly-inclined ramps and equipped with tracks permitting the passage of street cars thereon, said last named ramps passing between d flo r leve s and i tersectingbeneath'said platform. I

A t c e of' he ch a er described. comprising floor levels located-beneath the normal highway level, side walls projecting upwardlyfrom said floor levels, a platform suppor ed y sa d s dewalls at a point above said normal highway level, upwardly inclined ramps arranged in sets at, right angles to each other to permit passage of automobiles over said platform, downwardly I inclined ramps formed in the center of said upwardly in clined ramps and'equipped with tracks permitting the passage of street Cars thereon, said last named ramps passing between saidfioor levels and I intersecting beneath said platform, and doors and stairs permitting passage of pedestriansjfrom the normal street level to sai'd'fioor levels. I In. testimony whereof I aflix my si nature, FREDERICK E. Mc lN, 

